WALTHAM rugby union talent Alistair Thomson has clinched his first professional contract with Doncaster Knights.

The 21-year-old hooker, who has already featured for the RFU Championship side in the British and Irish Cup against Nottingham RUFC and Leeds Carnegie, has put pen to paper on a two-year deal at Castle Park.

A Lincolnshire representative since the age of 12, Thomson moves to Doncaster having previously played for Grimsby, Scunthorpe and Sheffield Tigers, where he made 55 National League appearances.

Thomson, a former Waltham Tollbar student, also spent 12 months playing BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) rugby for Leeds Metropolitan University in 2009/2010.

Upon signing his first professional deal, Thomson told the Telegraph: "It's fantastic news for me. It has been a few years in the making and there have been a few knockdowns along the way.

"It has always been my dream to turn professional, ever since I was 16 and thought it might be possible.

"For me it has been about proving people wrong and showing that I was good enough. But, for everyone that thinks you are good enough, there are 10 people that think you are rubbish.

"These little knockdowns are what it is all about. It gives you the motivation to go and prove people wrong.

"Hopefully I can push on after these two years and eventually play Premiership rugby. I am quite young for a hooker and there is plenty of time for me to improve.

"Right now my main focus is to play well for Doncaster but, after that, my ambition it to play in the Premiership.

"I do owe a lot to my dad and without him I probably wouldn't be where I am today. Both him and my mum have backed me all the way and kept pushing me to finally achieve my dream of being a professional player so I would like to thank them as well."

Should Thomson eventually realise his top-flight dream, he will join a growing list of Doncaster players who have graduated to the big time via Castle Park.

Tom Davies returned to the Knights in 2011 after spending a year at Cardiff Blues while prop Lewis Thiede is now a key figure at London Wasps having progressed through the Doncaster ranks.

Alex Brown is also expected to complete a switch to Exeter this summer.

While Thomson would like to follow in the footsteps of these stars, the Waltham youngster remains focused on the job in hand, especially having waited so long to finalise the deal.

He said: "I trained with the Doncaster academy when I was younger so I already knew the setup.

"When I moved to Sheffield the coach there (Steve Salvin) was the same guy from my earlier days at the academy.

"Things went really well for me at Sheffield and I got a call at Christmas asking me to come back to Doncaster. Since then I have been training every week and it finally led to a contract."